


Heads or Tails

by svetlanacat4



Category: The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-08-11
Updated: 2013-08-11
Packaged: 2017-12-23 04:25:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/921954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/svetlanacat4/pseuds/svetlanacat4
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A tarnished coin.<br/>One ruble<br/>Star... Hammer and sickle<br/>Heads or tails...</p><p>And a little boy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

 

 

The little boy blinked and wiped his dusty face with his sleeve.

He wouldn't cry.

No.

It would be... no use.

No more home.

No more family.

Just... ruins, ashes and cold.

And... something was glittering on the ground, dimly.

He crouched down.

A tarnished coin. He considered it thoroughly.

One ruble.

Star... Hammer and sickle...

He clenched his small fist around it.

“ _It's no use tossing a coin, Illya.”_ His father's voice echoed in his mind, _“You can rely on reflection, knowledge._..” He had tousled the blond hair, “ _You can rely on your instinct, but never rely on chance.”_


	2. Heads or Tails 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A tarnished coin  
> One ruble  
> Star... Hammer and sickle  
> Heads or Tails
> 
>  
> 
> and a young Soviet Navy officer

 

 

 

“Your choice, comrade Kuryakin...”

The officer's voice, usually sharp, was unctuous. Dreadfully unctuous.

The young man walked along the snowy promenade. His choice? Taking off a glove, he slipped his hand in his pocket, getting out a coin.

A tarnished coin.

One rouble.

Star... Hammer and sickle...

Heads or tails...

Heads... He complied, left his country, everything... forever, probably.

Tails... just a lethal eventuality.

Rely on reflection, knowledge...

He clenched his fist around the coin.

Rely on your instinct.

Smiling bitterly, he tossed the coin.

Never rely on chance.

He caught it and put it back in his pocket.

Instinct.


	3. Heads or Tails 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Count down... Two UNCLE agents...  
> A tarnished coin  
> One ruble  
> Star... Hammer and sickle  
> Heads or tails

“Oh, fine...”, Napoleon Solo muttered as he crawled out of the small tunnel and noticed the console. Numbers flashed, one by one, in a deadly countdown. _30 seconds._.. _29_...

Two huge cables, a red one, a yellow one... _28._..

He turned to his partner who was snaking lithely out of the duct. _27_...

“Looks like we'll have to toss a coin... _26._..

The Russian rolled disapproving eyes but didn't comment, concentrating on the flickering device. _25._..

Suddenly, he slipped his hand in his pocket and got out a coin.

_A tarnished coin._

_One ruble._

_Star... Hammer and sickle..._

“I... I was kidding, Illya... You...” _24..._

Illya Kuryakin smirked, “Heads, the red, tails, the yellow?” _23..._

He tossed the coin and caught it deftly, “Give me your pencil.” _22..._

Solo was taken aback, “It's a pencil... Just a pencil...” _21..._

“I hope so. Please?”

Napoleon complied, still puzzled. _20..._

The Russian brushed carefully the lead of the pencil against the coin above his handkerchief.” _19..._ _18..._ “You see this small brown panel? Take it off. And be careful, of course.” _17.. 16..._

“But...”

Illya sighed, “My father told me to never rely on chance. Take it of.” _15... 14..._

 

 

 

Again, he complied and removed the said panel. _13... 12..._

“Illya...” _11... 10..._

There was a web of wires... _9... 8..._

“Illya...?”

The Russian considered the black powder with a strange smile. _7... 6..._

'Illya...”

He bent over the electrical circuits, studying them for what seemed to be an eternity. _5... 4..._

'Illya...!”

He sprinkled the black powder on the circuits. _3... 2..._

There was a scintillation. Something like a sizzle. And... nothing.

The console switched off.

Illya Kuryakin wiped the dust off his face and smiled at his partner, one of his so rare smiles...

“ _Rely on reflection, acknowledgment..._ My father was used to tell me...” The smile faded slightly, “I used graphite to cause a short circuit...”

Napoleon Solo put his hand on his friend's shoulder. “You're a smart Russian...”, he hesitated - Illya didn't usually make references to his family... - and added, “and your father... a wise man.”

“Yes... he was...” Illya raised a finger and pointed at the duct, “ he always added... “ _Rely on your instinct_ ”... My instinct tells me that we'd better hurry and get back the microdot to Mr. Waverly...”

Napoleon picked up the remains of his pencil and handed the coin to his partner.

“Agree. Let's go!”


End file.
